


Bastards of the Blight (Inktober 2018)

by lavellamps (eldritchblaest)



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Inktober 2018, but with words see, reupload
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-07-24 20:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16182245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eldritchblaest/pseuds/lavellamps
Summary: What shall the history books read?





	1. Poisonous- Sera

She’s picked it up from one of her Jenny’s- an elfy-but-not-too-elfy assassin who’d worked for some organization out of Antiva. _Two fifths toxin extract, two fifths deathroot venom, one fifth distillation agent. Mix thoroughly in a flask. Simple, but deadly._  
  
Easy for him to say- it’d taken her seven tries to get it right, and five of those times she’d poisoned herself. The other two times she’d poisoned someone else- someone who wasn’t supposed to be poisoned.  
  
_Stupid shite elves._  
  
Behind her, she can hear a crackle and pop- Dorian’s last firebomb, most likely. Quickly, she turns, hoisting her own bomb over her head.  
  
_Stupid shite elves indeed._


	2. Tranquil- Helisma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Helisma works.

"It hurt when it happened."

Helisma turns- she had just been taking stock of the bowstrings provided by the Inquisitor, and was interested to see a young boy standing next to her. She couldn't remember his name.

"Perhaps it did- I cannot recall. Pain is foreign to me now."

The boy nods- "You were very upset when you heard."

Helisma hums, turning back to her stock- "Once again, I'm not quite sure what I felt then- everything feels right, now."

The boy is quiet, his hat angled downwards, so she cannot see his face. "I knew someone, once. Someone I didn't help."

He's gone after that. She nods mutely- _what a pleasant boy_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helisma is the Tranquil that takes over as the Inquisition's head creature researcher after Haven is destroyed. She loves animals, but can't remember why.
> 
> The "someone" that Cole didn't help was the Tranquil Pharamond, who was able to reverse the Tranquility process. Cole attempted to kill him in the White Spire, but decided against it. Pharamond died anyway, and his death was one of the catalysts for the mage rebellion.
> 
> EDIT: The reason Sera's chapter doesn't have a summary or endnote is due to a glitch in the archive- it's why I had to reupload this. Apologies.


	3. Roasted- Dorian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dorian questions his taste in friends.

Dorian curses loudly in Tevene (a phrase that would’ve thrown his mother into a state of shock), diving behind a rock as the dragon (an Abyssal High Dragon, to be precise; Sera had named her Torchy) spits another large cloud of flames, roasting the ground where the mage had stood before. According to Bull, those flames are hot enough to turn sand into glass- he shudders at the thought.  
  
Speaking of the horned bastard, twenty yards to his right, Bull is yelling in Qunlat, laughing jovially as he runs unflinchingly through the flames. _Foolish Brute_ , Dorian thinks affectionately, watching as Sera throws herself into the fray, cackling maniacally as the Inquisitor backs her with a sudden onslaught of hailstones.  
  
_Foolish **brutes**_ , he mentally checks himself, unable to keep from smiling as a fireball explodes up from the ground, and the beast falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Abyssal High Dragon is found in the Western Approach, whether you like it or not. It specializes in fire-based attacks, hence Sera's nickname "Torchy."


	4. Spell- Varric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Varric talks (but what else is new?)

He loves it- the awe in their faces as he weaves a tale before their eyes.

The children love it- they flock around him in the Tavern attic, the drunkards laughing far below, watching with wide and wondrous eyes as he tells them tales of the Champion- of her red hair and big sword and wide smile and the grumpy elf she'd attached to her hip.

 _Is this what mages feel like, wielding fire at their fingertips? Knowing they have the power to shape entire worlds, if they so pleased?_ If so, maybe he could understand the rebellion- who'd wanna be locked away from that?

The thought frightens him, slightly- as much as he can be frightened. _I'll stick to words, thanks._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It would be obvious to write about a mage, so I went with someone... less magically inclined.
> 
> Also, have I mentioned that I love Varric?


	5. Chicken- Blackwall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Blackwall teaches.

"So how'm I supposed to do it again?"

Thom chuckles at the sight of Sera desperately trying to keep a grip on the chicken in her arms- the hen in question is flapping wildly, squawking is indignation. Sera, meanwhile, is glaring at him angrily.

Stifling his laughter, Thom carefully takes the hen from her arms, maneuvering her gently as Sera watches in awe.

"You tuck her head under your arm, yeah? Helps her feel safe."

Sera snorts, but does as he asks- the hen coos softly, but ultimately lies still.

She looks to him, incredulous, before her face breaks into a grin.

Thom grins back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never worked with chickens before, so I hoped my (minimal) research payed off.


	6. Drooling- Cassandra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cassandra remembers.

Galyan always said she drooled in her sleep- and, no matter how fervently she denied his claims, a part of her knew it was true.  
  
She avoided tents when she could- sleeping next to someone else was a matter of trust, in both her life and reputation, and she couldn’t afford to lose either. And so she slept outside, with nothing but a bedroll and the stars above to watch over her, and slept trusting her instincts to wake her.  
  
It was easier to trust herself before the Conclave- but now, with demons and monsters roaming freer than ever, with _holes opening in the fabric of the veil_ \- it was hard not to take comfort in the others around her.

( _“Oh, Galyan- how could I have been such a **fool**?"_ )  
  
So who cared if Varric saw her messy hair and wet chin? Who cared if Sera heard her sleep-scratched voice and smelled her morning breath?  
  
It’s better than dying alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regalyan D'Marcall (aka Galyan) was a mage of the White Spire circle in Val Royeaux- the primary setting of Dragon Age: Asunder. He was featured in the Call of the Seeker anime and was mentioned by Cassandra as being her former lover. He died at the conclave.


	7. Exhausted- Maryden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Maryden breathes the weary sigh.

"Long day, eh?"

Maryden sighs wearily, landing heavily on top of the barstool- behind her, she can hear people Yeah shuffling out- the Iron Bull laughing, Dorian slurring a curse Krem yelling his usual salutations. She turns and waves, and he waves back, smiling broadly.

In front of her, Cabot is pouring two mugs of ale- she grabs one, throwing back half of it before coming up for breath.

"Yes," she sighs, reaching back to rub her throbbing shoulder. He hums, clacking their kegs together before taking a swig himself. They share a weary smile.

Her throat hurts. Her fingers ache.

Thank the Maker for bartenders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cabot is the dwarven bartender of the Herald's Rest- he's a sarcastic bastard and I love him.
> 
> Also have I ever mentioned that Krem and Maryden are adorable?


	8. Star- Leliana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In whih Leliana reminisces.

She ponders it, sometimes, between messages by raven and by hand- looking over the mountain side from the battlements.

_Cold wind blowing through her hair, biting at her cheeks. The rhythmic clatter of weapons and armor. The distant roar of some unknown beast._

The Frostbacks had seemed infinite then, when it was just her and Brosca and their merry band of men. When it was Wynne's fond wisdom, Alistair's frustrated muttering, Scourge's relentless sarcasm.

Now they're an army- an army and then some, and it all lies on the shoulders of a 17 year old girl who could barely hold a staff when they found her.

 _Brosca would be proud_ , she thinks with a fond smile, and knows, without a doubt, that it's true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hero of Ferelden is Scourge Brosca, a Dwarven warrior who romanced Alistair.


	9. Precious- Cabot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cabot lingers.

The bar is empty now, the dull chatter of soldiers and mercenaries long gone. Upstairs, Sera's room in silent- probably gone to see Dagna, or perhaps Dorian, if she's in a mood. Not even the footsteps if the boy in the attic- _what was his name again? Kurt?_ \- can be heard.

It's just him and her. The bartender and the bard.

"Bard-tender," he muses drunkenly to himself, and he can hear her snort of laughter from where she rests against the bar. He laughs as well.

Soon, he'd find someone to take her home- perhaps Krem would help, if he's not drunk off his ass. Maybe even the attic boy- _Keaton? Kane? It definitely starts with a 'K'._

Soon, but not now- now is to be cherished, treasured; the precious laughter of those who bring it, finally at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a follow up of my Maryden prompt- maybe they're not friends, but they definitely take comfort in each other's presence.
> 
> And yes, Krem and Maryden will get a fic together- I love those two.


	10. Flowing- Cole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cole eludes.

He doesn't like the coast- the water, lapping at the shore; the rain, hanging like a shroud. It makes his hair wet and sticky, his skin slippery and smooth. He doesn't like smooth.

It makes him think of tears, sometimes- clean and clear, not salty and stained, but tears nonetheless.

_Splashing through the puddles, Bunny on his back, laughing and leaping and looping back around to do it all again._

He asks the Inquisitor to stay behind, next time they set off. She doesn't question it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bunny is Cole's sister. He accidentally strangled her to death while hiding from their father.
> 
> "Elude" is a synonym of "miss," as in "avoid, escape." I thought it'd be a clever play on words.


	11. Cruel- Ritts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ritts learns that Death is a cruel mistress.

It hurts, thinking about it.

"Ritts, are you okay?"

_Eldredda's face, soaking in the sun, her teeth bright enough to light up the world- as if the blight itself couldn't penetrate it._

"Ritts, are you okay?"

_A blue evening, a red morning, "You know the saying, don't you, love?" She laughs, and her voice feels cold._

"Ritts are you okay?"

 _A picnic; a kiss; an ambush. Blood on the sand, blood on her hands; you foolish,_ foolish _girl._

"Ritts are you okay?"

_There are many things they tell you in war; don't get captured, don't get seen._

"Yes," she says, always.

_They never tell you not to fall in love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ritts is an Inquisition scout who slept with an apostate mage named Eldredda. Eldredda was later killed by Templars while they were having a picnic. I wanted to explore their relationship a bit more.


	12. Whale- Adan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adan dreads.

There's an old seafaring legend, about a creature in the water. Sailors describe it as large and lithe, with smooth fins like a fish, but so much bigger.

His grandfather had seen it- or, at least, he said he had. " _It was grey_ ," Adan Senior had said, " _with powerful jaws and the biggest tail ye've ever seen. Is eyes were black- black as night- but it wasn't an evil black, like a demon. No, it was like an elderberry- ye can't help but enjoy it."_

He remembers this, late at night- when the mountain's too quiet and everything's gone still.

_What else is out there, that we haven't found?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon Adan is named after his grandfather, a sailor who went out on one last voyage and never returned.
> 
> Random facts about Adan senior:  
> \- He was 82 years old when he was lost- an unusually high age for a sailor.  
> \- He was an elf who followed Elven traditions- he worshipped Ghilan'nain, the goddess of Navigation, and claimed to have been "blessed" by her.  
> \- Adan Jr. begged him not to leave, but Adan Sr. did not listen. Adan now fears the sea, and has since rejected Elvhen tradition.


	13. Guarded- Vivienne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Vivienne is feared (but not feared enough).

The whispers seem to follow her down the hallways- _the iron maiden, the butterfly in stone_. Everywhere she goes, every room she enters, the air is choked with fear.  
  
Well, maybe not fear- respect, perhaps. Recognition. It’s a welcome change from life in the circle- a pleasing adaptation. A second skin.  
  
Until Tann.  
  
The girl is _infuriating_ \- she’s all show and flair (Dorian, after all, had influenced her greatly), moving with motions so fluid they must be practiced. She laughs and smiles and doesn’t listen half the time. Her voice cracks when she needs it most, and her Vallaslin is so obnoxiously loud that to apply a more colorful makeup would be genuinely impossible.  
  
And Vivienne _adores_ her- every part of her, from her awkward smile and too-loud laugh to her fidgeting hands under the table. The girl brings her gifts- flowers, usually, little things she’d picked in the Hinterlands and Val Royeaux. She brings them to her, wrapped in cloth and tied with a ribbon, with a shy smile and hopeful eyes.   
  
Vivienne has a vase, now. It’s her most treasured possession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Inquisitor's name is Vhenas'Tann, Tann for short. She's 17 years old and received her Vallaslin (bright, bright yellow) at an early age (15, for beating back a horde of Wyverns with nothing but a dagger). Her magical abilities revealed themselves much later on in her life (right after the breach opened- the Mark activated something within her)- thus, she has much to learn. She sees Vivienne as a motherly figure, and loves her dearly.


	14. Clock- Cullen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cullen loves.

There’s a clock in his room.  
  
Well, technically it’s his _office_ \- his real room’s upstairs, but it’s so cold and barren and he has nothing to fill it with, and so he makes do with what he has.  
  
An empty phylactery. A picture frame. A beaten sheath. The clock.  
  
It’s oaken, polished to shine, inscribed with the initials L.G.- Lini Galataur, a Dalish elf who’d inhabited the camp nearby to Honnleath. He remembered sneaking through the woods to meet her, how her big eyes lit up in excitement.  
  
" _I’m leaving for the Templars,_ ” he’d said one day, handing her the necklace he’d made in his mother's forge, “ _I wanted to give you something to remember me by._ ”  
  
They were 13 then- flirting schoolchildren, in all honesty. She’d sighed, kissing him on the cheek, before reaching into her bag.  
  
Her clan moved the next day. He never saw her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lini Galataur is an original character- the daughter of a Dalish craftsman, he mainly made toys and tools for the youngest members of the clan, though he enjoyed making clocks the most.
> 
> Lini was killed in an attack on her clan seven years later- the same year Cullen became Knight-Captain of Kirkwall. He never knew what happened to his first love.


	15. Weak- Morris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Morris... doesn't.

_“Get up,” they say, and I sputter up blood, coughing and wheezing because I can’t do anything else. The boots on my chest are polished to shine, and I look away._  
  
He never did.  
  
 _Father’s hand on the knife, a curved blade of iron, sharpened to cut bone- “Come on, runt- take the knife.”_  
  
He never did.  
  
 _We saw a deer today- it was small, just a little doe. It could barely walk. Avery gave me his bow and told me to shoot it- “Shoot it,_ Renald _,” he said, pointing at my target, “Don’t be a wuss.”_  
  
He never did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that many of Morris' self-worth issues stem from a family that saw him for who he was- and tried to force him to be something else.
> 
> Also, I just decided to make him name Renald- it seemed fitting.


End file.
